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Senior Manager, Device Program Management

EBSCO Industries, Inc. · Birmingham, AL · 2 mo ago
Project Management$10/hrFull-time

Job Summary

We're looking for a technically grounded Senior Manager, Program Management - Device to lead end-to-end program execution for consumer devices — spanning mobile imaging systems, IoT, and smart home products. You'll build and lead a team of Program Managers and own overall program health across Hardware, Electrical, Firmware, Image Quality, and Reliability workstreams.

This role serves as the primary bridge between executive leadership and cross-functional engineering teams, driving alignment on scope, schedule, risk, and milestone readiness from concept through mass production.

Job Responsibilities

  • Lead & Develop a High-Performing PM Team

    • Directly manage Program Managers covering hardware, electrical, firmware, image quality, and reliability disciplines

    • Set clear goals, coach for growth, conduct performance reviews, and develop PM career paths

    • Build team capability through process improvements, playbooks, and structured lessons-learned integration

  • Drive Program Execution

    • Own the master program schedule integrating all functional workstreams across HW, EE, FW, IQ, and Reliability

    • Establish and enforce milestone gates with clear entry/exit criteria across all hardware build phases (EVT, DVT, PVT, MP)

    • Resolve cross-functional dependencies, resource conflicts, and schedule tradeoffs with speed and clarity

    • Lead executive-level program reviews presenting status, risks, and mitigation strategies

  • Product Management Partnership

    • Engage during early-phase development to co-develop program schedules, cost frameworks, and resource plans grounded in engineering reality

    • Lead governance of feature lock milestones (Feature Concept Lock, Feature Definition Lock, Feature Freeze) to align scope before development begins

    • Partner with Product Management to evaluate feature trade-offs balancing schedule, cost, and technical risk

  • App & Cloud Software Coordination

    • Define cross-functional interdependencies and integration milestones across device, app, and cloud teams

    • Ensure firmware milestones (FC/PC/SC) are mapped against app and cloud software readiness to prevent integration bottlenecks

    • Drive regular cross-team integration syncs and escalate unresolved dependency conflicts with clear impact assessments

  • Hardware, Mechanical & Electrical Development

    • Track mechanical milestones through design freeze, tooling kick-off, and tool pull cycles; monitor DFM reviews, GD&T compliance, and CMM validation

    • Govern EE development milestones from schematic review through PCB/PCBA fabrication and maintain ECO/ECN discipline

    • Coordinate prototype planning, part procurement, and factory readiness with Device and Hardware PMs

  • Firmware, Image Quality & Communications

    • Partner with the Firmware PM to govern FC, PC, and SC milestones tightly integrated with hardware build schedules

    • Oversee IQ milestones across camera and imaging systems through IQ alpha/beta/gold sign-off

    • Govern cellular (FCC, PTCRB, carrier acceptance), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other LAN integration milestones and certifications

  • Reliability & Qualification

    • Govern reliability test planning covering environmental stress, mechanical durability, MTBF validation, and regulatory certification (FCC, CE, UL, RoHS)

    • Track all reliability findings to closure with clear ownership and committed ETAs

Job Requirements

  • Experience

    • 10+ years in program management within consumer electronics; direct experience shipping smartphones, mobile communications devices, imaging products, and/or IoT/smart home devices

    • 2+ years managing a team of Program Managers or leading a PM function

    • Track record of shipping 2+ consumer devices from concept to mass production in an NPI/ODM model

  • Technical Knowledge

    • Strong working knowledge of hardware development phases (EVT → DVT → PVT → MP)

    • Solid understanding of mechanical design, electrical development, and firmware lifecycle

    • Exposure to camera/imaging IQ tuning and reliability testing methodologies

    • Experience with ODM/CM partner management including SOW definition, NRE negotiation, and offshore deliverable accountability

  • Program Management Skills

    • Expert-level master scheduling (MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or equivalent)

    • Strong risk management — identification, quantification, and mitigation planning

    • Experience managing program budgets ($10M+), NRE tracking, and cost-to-complete reporting

  • Leadership & Communication

    • Proven success building and retaining a PM team

    • Exceptional executive communication — written, verbal, and data-driven

    • Comfortable driving clarity across large, globally distributed cross-functional teams

  • Preferred Qualifications

    • PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification

    • Experience with camera module development, ISP integration, or imaging system NPI

    • Background in IoT connectivity stacks (BT, Wi-Fi, Thread/Matter) and their firmware implications

    • Familiarity with DFMEA, PFMEA, and structured quality systems (APQP, PPAP)

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